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Showing posts with label TV Shows. Show all posts
Showing posts with label TV Shows. Show all posts

Aw, Damn!

    This is a sad day for Star Trek fans.


    Majel Barrett Roddenberry, actress and wife of legendary Start Trek creator, the late Gene Roddenberry, passed away today at the age of 76 due to complications with leukemia.

    Affectionately dubbed the "First Lady of Star Trek" by adoring fans, Majel Barrett appeared in the original Star Trek series in the late 60s. But many fans remember her best as the loud and eccentric Lwaxana Troi, mother of Counselor Deanna Troi, a reoccurring character on the hit spinoff, Star Trek: The Next Generation.

    Her last involvement with her husband's franchise before her death was as the voice behind the ship's computer in J. J. Abram's upcoming feature film prequel, Star Trek.

    Her character on "Generation" was always grating to me, but she played the role exactly as was required, and then took it a bit further. She was definitely a talented actress, and I can't deny she was an integral anchor to the Trek universe -- both on the camera and behind it. She will be sorely missed.Source URL: https://bollywoodsexygirls2012.blogspot.com/search/label/TV%20Shows
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The Best Family Sitcom Evar!!!

    I was listening to some good ol' Ray Charles this afternoon, and I came upon one of my favorite songs: The Night Time Is The Right Time. This is such an awesome track, and no one can sing it better than Ray himself.

    But as usual, the song instantly reminded me of that one episode of the Cosby Show when the entire family performs the song to celebrate the grandparents' anniversary. Most people agree that this is one of the best moments in TV history. So funny! Of course, my favorite part is when little Rudy starts lip synching. LOL! Look at how much emotion she poured into that performance. Priceless!



    Oh, and I'm sure I wasn't aware of it at the time I first saw this episode when I was just a little tyke . . . but dayum, Lisa Bonet was smokin HOT!!!! Jeez. (She's the one with the white gloves, for those of you who don't know.)

    Anyone else remember this scene and love this show, too?

    I need to get the complete series on box set sometime.Source URL: https://bollywoodsexygirls2012.blogspot.com/search/label/TV%20Shows
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Hooray HBO! I Knew You Could Do It!


    Finally! It took them nearly two years from acquiring the rights to George R. R. Martin's acclaimed fantasy series, A Song of Ice and Fire, but HBO has finally greenlit the production of the first book in the series, A Game of Thrones, for their original lineup. Variety.com announced the details earlier this week, so check out the link if you want the full scoop.

    I'm ecstatic! This is the best set of fantasy books since Tolkien's Lord of the Rings. Trust me, I don't deliver such praise lightly. The funny thing is, ASoIaF doesn't actually delve so much on tried and true fantasy tropes as most books of this ilk do. There are no elves, barely any magic at all, and dragons (for the most part) are only mentioned in songs. There are giants and ghouls and all sorts of weird, crazy things in this world though. But they're kept behind a massive protection wall, sort of like what China tried to do with the invading Mongolian hordes (and look how well that worked out for 'em!)

    The series, instead, deals primarily with internecine and devious strategies between several vying factions and kingdoms, all jockeying for control of the high throne. Hence, the title of the first book, A Game of Thrones. For me, this is the series' best selling point--it's sorta like The Godfather/Sopranos meets King Arthur! In fact, not unlike HBO's previous series, Rome, now that I think of it. Clearly the network has a keen love of the twisted power-play theme for their shows, and in this case Martin's books will fit right in.

    Now that the show's been greenlit, fans can breathe a collective sigh of relief. A script for the pilot has been written, and so hopefully this means we can see an air date of sometime in 2010, although early 2011 would be my best guess. I can wait. Maybe in that time the author can *finally* deliver his latest book in the series, A Dance With Dragons, which fans have been waiting on now for going on 5 years!
    Source URL: https://bollywoodsexygirls2012.blogspot.com/search/label/TV%20Shows
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There's A Black Panther TV Show?

    As my grandma would say: Slap me silly and call me Shirley!

    I don't know how this news slipped by me, but apparently at this summer's San Diego Comicon, Marvel announced plans to bring its Black Panther property to the BET network as the channel's first prime time adult animated series. The tv show will hit the air sometime in Feb. 2009.

    And just this week IGN.com reported that actor Djimon Hounsou will be voicing the famed Wakandan king turned superhero, which I think is just all sorts of awesome! I mean, DAMN, this is just the guy to get for the role!

    Wow, this is so exciting! I've been waiting a long time for Marvel to finally get around to this, although personally I was hoping more along the lines of a movie deal. And starring Wesley Snipes, of course. Since Wesley is currently playing the stupid rich black man role in tax-evasion prison, I guess that will have to wait.

    But in the meantime, this is the next best thing. I'm hoping for something along the lines of HBO's animated Spawn series over a decade ago, or even Spike TV's Afro Samurai mini from last year. So far, though, the details are looking good.

    Apparently the show will spring directly from the most recent incarnation of the BP comic series as penned by Reginald Hudlin and drawn by John Romita, Jr. Hudlin also happens to be BET's "Entertainment President" at the moment, and the man responsible for bringing the show to the network. Right now it seems the show's run will directly follow the first six issues of the recent comic line, before going off to tell its own story. The art style is being strongly reflective of Romita's artwork, recreating the artist's look for the television screen.

    From what I've seen of the teaser trailer (voiced before Hounsou came on board), it appears they've captured the look and feel of the comics perfectly. In fact, it's uncanny! Take a look for yourself:

    Source URL: https://bollywoodsexygirls2012.blogspot.com/search/label/TV%20Shows
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Box Set Dilemma -- And More Fraggles!

    Those of you reading this thing semi-regularly may be aware of my recent run-in with Fraggle Rock related issues. If not, click here and here for a refresher. Seems I can 't get away from the little buggers now. And to make matters worse, I just learned of a GARGANTUAN box set release of the entire show on DVD!

    That's 20 discs of Fraggle mayhem, folks! I mean, my god, how tempting *is* this? And it's not really that bad of a price for such a huge haul -- only 90 bucks on Amazon.com. I want so badly to ask for this for Christmas, but there are so many box sets that, to my chagrin, I've also discovered on Amazon. It must be that time of year I suppose, because already my bank account is screaming at me.

    Case in point:

    Exhibit A



    Exhibit B


    Seriously, how can I resist? The Planet of the Apes complete movie collection is especially sweet because it is on Blu-ray. But then, Batman: The Animated Series is the greatest cartoon show of all time.

    Surely the solution is simple, no? I must BUY THEM ALL!!!!

    Haha, no. I wish I could, but I can't. If I really, really could only choose one . . . I'd have to go with my buddy, the Dark Knight.

    Yeah, that's what I'll do.

    And yet . . .
    Source URL: https://bollywoodsexygirls2012.blogspot.com/search/label/TV%20Shows
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My Childhood's Just Been Raped!

    I hate when proof of my advancing years rears its ugly head.

    I was watching the Cash Cab on the Discovery Channel today. It's a game show that takes place in a New York City taxi cab. The driver, comedian Ben Bailey, drives people to their destinations in Manhattan, asking them trivia questions along the way for money.

    Anyway, these three young jackholes get in the cab. They can't be older than 23. They're dumber that a sack full of hammers. But the one question they got wrong is one which I, as a child of the 80s, just can't forgive.

    The question Ben posed to these three simpletons was this:

    "Using Muppets to explore prejudice, what 1980s series from Jim Henson featured 'Doozers,' 'Gorgs,' and the all-knowing 'Trash Heap'?"

    These fools start hemming and hawing over the question like as if Ben asked them to break down the fundamental laws of thermodynamics or something. To my horror, the words I keep hearing in the bedlam of dumb-fuckery that ensues in the back of the cab is "sesame" and "street." Finally, they settle on that answer and are, of course, buzzed wrong.

    WTF? Do these morons not know of the great and powerful Fraggle Rock series? How is it possible to have gone through childhood and not at least have heard of the show, let alone watched it? True, maybe they didn't have HBO. But I have friends who didn't grow up on HBO like I did, yet still know about Fraggle Rock. It's Jim Henson, for crying out loud! Btw, the show ran from 1983 to 1987.

    After being told the correct answer, they all three of them screwed up their faces in disgust. Like as if to say: how the hell were we supposed to get that? One of these geniuses even had to add insult to injury by offering up this salient quip: "Dude, it's the 80s! What'd you expect?" Like as if this happened in the ancient mythos of prehistory, LONG before the birth of civilization and all things Nickelodeon.

    Anyway, that just irked me as you can see. :-) To make up for it, here's a video of the Fraggle Rock opening theme number, which delighted me to no end when I was a kid. I remember Sunday nights spent first watching Knight Rider on NBC, then switching the cable box on and catching Fraggle Rock right after. Those were the best times to be a kid.

    Source URL: https://bollywoodsexygirls2012.blogspot.com/search/label/TV%20Shows
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HBO Series Openers Are Trippy!

    By now, most of you are probably aware how much I love HBO's original programming. Although there have been some duds (John From Cincinnati, I'm looking straight at you), the network consistently puts out hit show after hit show. It's uncanny, considering that it's not like it's the same people working on each show. They must have tremendous quality control over there.

    Anyway, probably the most fun I have whenever a new series premieres is catching the opening credits sequence. Without question, HBO shows have some of the most provocative, memorable, and straight up trippy title sequences you've ever seen. And the visuals almost always go with catchy, unforgettable, yet equally incongruous theme music to boot!

    Case in point, HBO's latest hit series, TRUE BLOOD, which I have mentioned here on some occasion. Check out the opener by clicking on the vid below:



    Keep in mind this show is about Vampires trying to live in the open alongside humans and have equal rights like them. And it takes place in the South. If you think about those two things, this opening fits in profound ways. The thing about these openers is that they don't always grab you right out of the box. Because they are often highly artistic and interpretive, the opening sequences usually seem to have little or nothing to do with the actual content of the show itself. That is until you watch a few episodes first. Before long, you realize you've been hooked! Soon you're humming the theme all day long for the entire week between episodes, until you're scratching and twisting for Sunday to roll around so you can get your fix. Yeah, it's that bad. Or, rather, that GOOD! At least for me. And from the way the critics rave about these shows, I don't think I'm alone.

    Anyway, here are other memorable openers to some of the best HBO shows in the last decade. I'm listing them from favorite to least favorite, although all of them are good in my book. Check them out, if you have the bandwidth:

    CARNIVALE


    Dark and foreboding, just like the show. I love the Tarot cards, since it fits with the mystic gypsy aspect of the series and the theme of cyclic fate. The theme was created by Jeff Beal, who also did the opening theme for my next favorite HBO show, Rome.

    ROME


    This one took a while to grow on me, for some reason. I didn't really get hooked on this opening until the 3rd episode. But when I did, it was HARD. In some ways, I like this opening more than Carnivale's. I like the way actual ancient graffiti was used, which were found at various Roman sites and which illustrate that our forebears had the same banal humor as the filthiest of comedians today. Kewl!

    SIX FEET UNDER


    Alan Ball created this show, and he also happens to be the creator behind True Blood. He was also the man behind the movie American Beauty, and as with that film Thomas Newman collaborates once again with Ball to create a memorable opening theme piece. If you haven't guessed by now, it's the music I identify with most in these openers, not so much the visuals. :-)

    DEADWOOD


    This show is like the anti-Western Western. It has cowboys and an unruly miner's town, complete with saloons, brothels, and opium houses, sure. Yet it's more about the human condition rather than shooting duels and five-card. The opening revolves around a pivotal scene in an early episode where a horse runs loose in the new town of Deadwood, but once again it is the music that captivates me.

    THE WIRE


    I never knew how well this show captured Baltimore until I visited that blighted city one year. It's just like this! Both the good and the bad. The opening does an adequate job of letting you know what the show is about (if you couldn't already guess from the title). One of the most intelligent and realistic police procedurals I've seen on tv. The music is somehow perfect for the series, with the first season's version of the theme song (heard here) performed by The Five Blind Boys of Alabama. Cool stuff, especially that solo in the middle.

    Again, why aren't you watching HBO?Source URL: https://bollywoodsexygirls2012.blogspot.com/search/label/TV%20Shows
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This New HBO Series, True Blood . . .

    I just watched the second episode of True Blood. Okay, I don't get what everyone's problem is with this show. I think it's great! Not the best thing (yet) to come out of HBO's original programming, but it's still early. I've been reading some sites, and apparently a lot of the negativity comes from a pre-released screener of the pilot that was made available earlier this summer. Apparently that pilot was edited or changed (along with some re-casting) to the version that eventually aired on September 7. And apparently the same people who bitched and moaned about the rough pilot did not bother checking out the new "pilot"/season premiere.

    Anyway, I don't have the same issues everyone else who did watch the premiere has. According to many, the phony southern accents are what turns them off. Since I'm not southern, I can't attest to that. As long as I can understand what's being said, I'm fine. Are these people caricatures of southerners? Perhaps. But I think they're more caricatures of human beings, period. Which, I would guess, is the tone the producers are going for. Not having read the books this series is based on, it could be that this was the tone of the source material as well. So, again, I don't have a problem with this.

    Maybe the show is not enough Buffy the Vampire Slayer for some folks? I mean, there's no Scooby Gang or Watchers, or cheerleaders staking vamps through the heart. But I don't see how this is a bad thing.

    So far I'm liking the slow build the show is doing. The characters are quirky and the humor is off-beat. Anna Paquin steals the show for me, but I also like some of the supporting actors a lot as well. Rutina Wesley, who plays Sookie's best friend, Tara, shines in particular. She's a virtual unknown talent previously seen as the lead in the forgettable dance movie, How She Move -- but don't hold that against her. Wesley has this charming vulnerable side to her behind the tough, bombastic barrier Tara puts up to shield her from the stupidity of strangers. When she lets her guard down around the Stackhouse family, it's a joy to watch. You see a lot of this vulnerable side of her in the second episode.

    Ryan Kwanten, who plays Sookie's dim-witted Lothario of a brother, Jason, is also very good. You want to hate him for the man-slut that he is, but somehow the actor's able to convey a softness and likability to the dumb rogue. Not bad.

    I was taken aback by the abrupt turn the end of the episode takes. In a good way. It seems Sookie just got herself caught up in a dicey situation. I mean, the episode went from lovey-dovey to real HOLY SHIT, HOW IS SHE GOING TO ESCAPE THIS MESS? in like 2 seconds flat. Kinda like the end of the premier episode, except you saw that one coming a mile away. This time it was a complete surprise. Even more so because my girl Aunjanue Ellis showed up in the scene as a sexy, evil vampiress that was just completely out of the blue! She's not even credited for the show on her IMDB page! I can't wait to see how this all turns out next episode.

    I get the feeling Sookie's crush, Bill the Vampire, cannot stand up to his brethren without Sookie's help. Should be interesting.Source URL: https://bollywoodsexygirls2012.blogspot.com/search/label/TV%20Shows
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My Three Dads

    Okay, I know it sounds silly, but I have a confession to make: I was raised by television. Yes, yes, it's true, I admit it. While in actuality I was raised by my maternal grandmother, there was never that male adult figure in my life to teach me the things that many little boys learn from their fathers: specifically, how to be a man. I was surrounded by strong female types growing up, and while it's true that I learned a great deal from these women in my family, I had to turn to tv to get the paternal influence that was missing from my existence. I had to learn how to be an honest man, a fighter, a good husband and/or father, and how to treat a woman the way a good man should -- all from the tube!

    Now, I'm only being half serious here. Because, of course, I didn't need tv to teach me right from wrong, or honesty from dishonesty. I'm my own keeper. It's been that way ever since my parents left me alone in this world. Still, I consider the following three television characters to have had the most profound influence on shaping my teenage personality, leading to the adult I am now. The essences of these three fictional characters reside within me even to this day, and those who know me really well can easily discern the part and parcel characteristics I've borrowed from these figures to make my own.

    JEAN LUC PICARD




    Yes, as it may be no surprise, my latching on to tv role models began at the age of 12. I'm sure there are studies out there that correlate a boy's self-identity with the time he enters puberty. So it's no surprise that my quest to find a father figure that would teach me what I needed to know to be a man would start around this time. I'd just started junior high school, and Star Trek: The Next Generation had premiered the year before. I'd grown up watching the original 60s show with William Shatner as the young, cocksure Captain Kirk. So I naturally took a disliking to this new show and its new Captain, which were nothing like the original. However, over time the show started to grow on me, to the point that it soon surpassed my love of the original. Now after all these years, ST:TNG is the quintessential Star Trek for me. Nothing before or after it tops this show. And this character was one I had a strong attachment to as a young boy.

    Captain Jean Luc Picard of the U.S.S. Enterprise (NCC-1701-D) was in many ways the thinking man's captain. Unlike Kirk before him, Picard preferred to use his wits and diplomacy to defuse a dangerous situation, rather than his fists. He was a refined gentleman, well-read in various scholarly pursuits (notably music, botany, and archaeology), yet he was stern under pressure and no-nonsense when it came to saving the lives of his crew. He commanded great respect for his ability to keep his emotions in control under tense situations. All these aspects endeared me to the character, and I immediately set out to imitate Picard's demeanor.

    KWAI CHANG CAINE



    In Jan. 1993, a spin-off to the 70s show, Kung Fu, premiered on what was then called the: "Prime Time Entertainment Network." The show was called Kung Fu: The Legend Continues, once again starring David Carradine as Kwai Chang Caine (though now the grandson of the original Kwai Chang). This character has probably had the most profound effect on who I am to this day, as I credit this show for awakening the fire in me to learn everything I can about Chinese culture and language, as well as to cultivate my interest in the martial art of gong-fu.

    Kwai Chang Caine, like Jean Luc Picard, was refined and wise. He was someone who could obviously carry himself in a fight, but who more often than not sought the peaceful solution to a conflict. This was who I wanted to be like. I was always a quiet and observant child by nature, and by 1993 I had grown into one of those intense, focused teenagers who other kids in high school didn't know whether to pick on or to leave the hell alone for fear he might come to class one day and go postal. But the values that Caine stood for were my values as well, and so it was easy to see why I would latch on to this character as my role model.

    DUNCAN MACLEOD




    Finally we come to the last of my three dads, Duncan MacLeod of the clan MacLeod. This figure appeared in Highlander: The Series as the titular character, portrayed by Adrian Paul. While premiering before Kung Fu: The Legend Continues in the fall of 1992, I wasn't introduced to the show until shortly after I had already been addicted to KFtLC. But when my friend, T, finally convinced me to check it out, I was hooked from the get-go.

    Duncan MacLeod was a 400-year old Immortal, master swordsman, and martial artist. However, I found myself more drawn to the deep pathos that arose from the character's long life. How it was that, despite never being able to die, his life was far from a happy one. For in those 400 years he had to deal with the deaths of countless loved ones and friends, all the while remaining alive and struggling to make it through another year without those he cherished. As someone who had lost his mother at an early age, this pathos resonated deeply within me. I actually *felt* the heart-wrenching pain of this character's loss. I was never the same again. Duncan MacLeod, more than any character on any other show, has defined who I am as an adult man dealing with a monstrous past. The strength to face the world and the demons it held in waiting for an unsuspecting young man was drawn from this character.

    So there you have it. These are the three biggest TV influences to shape my personality in those turbulent teenage years when one struggles to find himself. I'm not any one of these characters, nor am I the sum of these men. I've taken only certain facets from all three -- aspects which, I suspect, I already contained naturally -- and made them resolutely my own.

    So, do any of you have tv or film characters who have inspired you in life? Please let me know.Source URL: https://bollywoodsexygirls2012.blogspot.com/search/label/TV%20Shows
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New HBO Series Premiering This Weekend!



    I'm a huge fan of HBO's original programming. Some of the most acclaimed shows in recent memory have come out of the network -- The Sopranos, The Wire, Six Feet Under, Carnivale, Deadwood, Rome. It comes to a point where I don't think they can do me wrong. A few years from now we'll get the insanely successful fantasy book series, A Song of Ice and Fire, translated to the network, which I'm having wet dreams over just in anticipation. But in the meantime we'll get yet another series from the talented Alan Ball this Sunday (9/7 -- same day as my b-day!), called True Blood.

    True Blood is about vampires getting "outed" in present day America, and seeking to have the same basic, civil rights as normal Americans. The allegory to the gay marriage issue is obvious here, but I also think Ball's intention is to take it back to the civil rights issues of the 50s and 60s as well. In any case, it's an intriguing concept that will be well worth an initial viewing at the least. I've often gone into HBO premieres fearing that this will be the one time they fail me, but so far it hasn't happened. And so I'm looking forward to more of the same quality with this new series.

    Plus, as the writer and producer of both the film, American Beauty, and the exceptional series, Six Feet Under, Alan Ball has yet to fail his fans.

    Is anyone else with HBO looking forward to this, too? Check out the trailer above and see what you think.Source URL: https://bollywoodsexygirls2012.blogspot.com/search/label/TV%20Shows
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